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My White Wine Tasting Party article is a companion to this one and covers the first echelon of tasting types, Horizontal and Vertical, along with a General Tasting explanation. The types of wine tastings herein branch out to include Old World vs. New World wines and a fun Vintage Wars Wine Tasting.
First, check out the Horizontal and Vertical definitions in my white wine article and then circle back here to figure out the details of how you want to conduct your tasting.
The type of wine tasting outlined for this party is that of a General Tasting where guests are comparing red wines all within a certain price point per bottle. My list of 5 Red Wines for the Tasting suggests some terrific choices. You may wish to get more specific such as tasting the same varietal or grape, for example all bottles must be Cabernet Sauvignon. Or you could consider one of these tasting types.
Old World Wine vs. New World Wine Tasting
- Did you see the movie "Bottle Shock?" This wine lover's tale was about the first time a wine from the United States (New World Wine) beat a wine from Europe (Old World Wine) in a tasting competition; more specifically wines from Napa Valley beat wines from France. Here's the story on Chateau Montelena's website, the prevailing white wine producer from the 1976 tasting.
- Old World Wines are wines from certain areas of Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Austria), and New World wines are pretty much from everywhere else (North America and the Southern Hemisphere).
- When hosts choose this type of tasting they like to pair an Old World varietal against the same or similar version of the New World varietal, such as a French Bordeaux versus a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, to differentiate winemaking styles and personal preferences of grapes grown and vinted in different parts of the world.
- Go deeper with your tasting notes for this type of party and include historical facts about the wineries along with some info about the soil in which the grapes were grown, a big factor for comparing the old versus the new.
Vintage Wars Wine Tasting
- For the wine newbie, paying attention to a wine's vintage or the year the grape was harvested may be too much to take on for a tasting. But if your group has advanced beyond "this tastes like cherries" you may want to try this tasting idea.
- Get your hands on a Vintage Chart, like this one from Wine Enthusiast. A Vintage Chart provides a point system that "grades" the climate and other factors specific to wine-producing areas with the goal of determining the potential for great-tasting wine to be made and its timeliness with regard to consumption.
- So the way this tasting works is that tasters would compare the same varietal from a few producers in the same area but from grapes grown in two different years. (It's similar to a Vertical Tasting, but with more than one producer.)
- You determine the years by looking at the Vintage Chart to see which area scored the highest for the varietal in a given year. For example, a good comparison might be 2004 vs. 2002 Pinot Noir wines from Oregon or 2002 vs. 1998 Australian Shiraz wines.
- The further back you go the more expensive the wine may be or it may be hard to come by. If you are choosing older vintages, make sure you buy from a trustworthy source to be certain that the wine has been stored properly all these years.
- The Vintage Chart will also tip you off about the wine's drinkability letting you know when the wine is supposed to be at its peak or past its prime, so bring it along as a buying guide and display it at the tasting party if you like.
Add a splash of color by using florals to dress up your party, but keep the tasting table pristine to showcase the luscious color of the wine.
- A white tablecloth is what you want for a red wine tasting to allow for a clean background and the color of the wine to be authentic.
- Go for mild-scented flowers to add decor without a strong aroma that may overpower the wine's bouquet. Red Calla Lilies would be lovely and tie in the wine tones.
- Place the flower arrangement on one end of the table and illuminate it by adding unscented votive candles around the base.
- A framed menu of the wine that you will be tasting on the other end of the table will be much appreciated by guests. Set votives near the frame to add to the ambience.
- Fill in the remainder of the table with elements for the wine tasting, which I find to be decorative as well.
- Keep the lights dim yet bright enough for all to read the tasting notes and enjoy the appearance of each wine while they taste.
Red Wine Glasses for Guests
- Personalized Red Wine Glasses, $8 each
- Martha Stewart "Waterman" Red Wine Glasses, 4 for $21.99
- Luigi Bormioli "Michelangelo" Red Wine Glasses, 4 for $20
I love the majesty of red wine glasses with their grand bowls and long sexy stems. Choose an upper-end set of red wine glasses for this tasting. One great glass will be fine for each pour as opposed to a different glass specific to each varietal. Of course, if you have the budget, a new, unique glass for each wine would be a real treat for your guests!
- Choose 4 - 6 wines for this tasting, such as the ones suggested in 5 Red Wines for a Tasting.
- Decide the order in which the wine will be tasted, most usually start with the medium-bodied wines and progress to fuller bodied, sweeter wines.
- Line up the bottles in their tasting order, right to left or vice versa, along the backside of the table. By backside, I mean where the host or wine pourer would stand.
- Place a wine glass for each guest along the front side on the table.
- Place a pitcher of purified water and a discard bucket, such as an ice bucket, on the table. Guests can quench their thirst or use the water to rinse their glasses before trying a new wine.
- Crackers in a basket can be placed on the table as a palate cleanser or nibbler.
- Create nice postcards with winemaker notes as well as descriptions from wine connoisseurs for each bottle. Some guests like to have an idea of what they are tasting before they sip while others like to discover the wine for themselves and then compare their findings to the pros.
- Consider a notepad and pen for each guest to take their own notes.
- Include essentials such as beverage napkins and a wine opener.
For Wine Tasting Tips and Techniques Read:
This exquisite list of red wine includes those made from excellent producers for the specific varietals.
I feel it's also important to note that this article was written in 2010 and the vintages may need to be updated depending on when you read this.
The wine is listed in a suggested tasting order and you'll find winemaker notes on each of these producer's website or by searching them online.
These prices for these wines range from around $50 to $150 a bottle.
2007 Ken Wright Pinot Noir McCrone Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon (around $50)
- Pinot Noir is still feeling all shiny due to its exposure from the movie "Sideways." It's a great red grape, one of my personal favorites, because it falls on the lighter side of most reds. Ken Wright's website is awesome for the wine novice as it has a bunch of "nuts and bolts" info that lets you know when to drink their wine (drinkability) and why. Go with Ken's Pinot Noir from Oregon, champions of this varietal. His 2007 is really rich, plummy, and chocolately with a big ol' nose. A strong addition with much to talk about for a wine tasting.
2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California (around $40)
- Duckhorn produces a classic Merlot and the 2006 vintage is superb with lovely fruit nuances like plum, black raspberry, and boysenberry balanced with smoky, spicy tones as well. Most guests really enjoy the accessibility of a Merlot's characteristics in a red wine tasting especially when it follows a Pinot Noir.
2006 Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy (around $40)
- This "super Tuscan" has a lot going on! Along with a chocolate undertone, additional sweets from the kitchen can be detected like caramel and burnt brown sugar to perk up the ripe fruity notes of the Sangiovese and Cabernet grapes in this medium-bodied blend.
2006 Two Hands Shiraz Bella's Garden, Barossa Valley, Australia (around $50)
- A lush reddish-purple hue is the tone of this fruity, juicy Shiraz from the world's top producers of the varietal, Australia. You'll experience a nice, big mouthfeel with spicy notes and nuances of currant, black cherry, and berries in Two Hand's beautiful blend.
2004 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23, Napa Valley, CA (around $150)
- Back in 1976, it was a '73 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon that beat French red wines in the famed Paris Tasting as storied in the movie "Bottle Shock." So, even though it is triple the price of the others in this line up, I wanted to include it. The depth of color in this red gem is like that of a garnet. All your classic Cab flavors, such as black currants, cherries, licorice, even tobacco dance around on the palate with every sip. A full-bodied and fabulous finale to any red wine tasting.
Thank you!
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